


Over And Again

by nagi_schwarz



Series: Play Along [35]
Category: Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1
Genre: Alternate Universe - Rock Band, M/M, band au, musician au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-15
Updated: 2016-08-15
Packaged: 2018-08-08 21:57:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7775167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nagi_schwarz/pseuds/nagi_schwarz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the comment_fic prompt: "any. any. <i>They all tell me to travel, / to come and to leave, to stay, / to die and not to die. / It does not matter. <i>(Pablo Neruda)"</i></i></p><p>
  <i>
    <i>John's life has been a yo-yo, and he doesn't know what to do.</i>
  </i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Over And Again

John typed, erased, and retyped his message a dozen times before he settled on three words and sent them to Teyla, Ronon, Jennifer, Evan, Dave, and Cam:  
  
 _Rodney kissed me._  
  
Ronon's response was immediate: _You better have jumped his bones. You better be sending this text message from rumpled, sweaty sheets._  
  
Teyla was the next to respond. _How did that make you feel?_  
  
John had come straight home from the bar and crawled into bed. He knew Dave was over at Kathy's for the night, wouldn't answer till morning. He was sprawled out on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, reliving the kiss - warm, soft, brief, perfect.  
  
He'd wanted to go for Ronon's suggestion, but his heart had been pounding, and he'd been so elated and so afraid. So he'd pulled back and said he really needed to think about it - he did - and he gave Rodney his new number and then he drove home, dazed the entire way.  
  
Jennifer, who was also back in school, going to therapy weekly but sometimes John's study buddy for the math classes they had in common, stayed up late on the weekends studying. _Does this mean the band is back together?_  
  
Evan's response was a single word, but John could feel every single ounce of amusement radiating from it. _Finally._  
  
John was very surprised when Dave texted back. _Hope it was how you always dreamed. Talk tomorrow._  
  
John was floating on air, flying like he'd always dreamed he would. He was freezing cold and terrified. He'd kissed Rodney. Rodney had kissed him. Since John didn't remember playing spin the bottle at Kaleb Miller's house, he felt thoroughly justified in counting this as his first kiss with Rodney, which he realized made him a teenage girl, because he didn't care.

Cam's response was also unexpected given the hour, even though Hailey had seemed plenty awake and sober enough to drive Rodney back to the studio. _Are you okay?_  
  
The truth was, John didn't know. He told Cam and Teyla and Jennifer so. Teyla wished him the best, whether or not that was with Rodney. Jennifer asked him to keep her updated on the band, if it was happening again, and if she'd be needing a new study buddy in advanced calculus (and good luck).   
  
Cam called him. His drawl was slow, deep, and drowsy. "How did it happen?"  
  
"He came to see me play," John said. "He asked me to help him with his new project."  
  
"Ah. The new cover band project that has made everyone at the studio hate him and love him in turns." Cam sounded deeply amused. "How did that involve him kissing you?"  
  
"I told him no thanks, I didn't want to do the whole 'work with you but not like you thing', and he said he did like me, and I pointed out - I think rightly, given precedent - that he doesn't like me like I like him, and then he kissed me."  
  
"And yet you're calling me instead of getting it on with him."  
  
"You called me first."  
  
"You know what I mean."  
  
"You sound like Ronon."  
  
"I might have been spending more time than I ever intended to with Ronon."  
  
"I just - I don't know if I can do this all again," John said. "My relationship with my father is the best it's ever been basically since I started talking. I'm doing good in school and I'm okay with that, and life in the mail room is actually okay. I get to play all the music I want, but there's no pressure to be attractive and peppy, and I don't have to constantly worry if people will find out I'm sick or if Rodney will find out I'm in love with him -"  
  
"So you're still in love with him," Cam said softly.   
  
"For the past year and a half my life has been on a yo-yo. Go. Stay. Play. Don't play. Live. Die. Love Rodney. Be painfully hurt by Rodney. Miss Rodney. Kiss Rodney. I - what do I do?"  
  
"What do you want to do?"  
  
John closed his eyes and sighed, relived Rodney's kiss.  
  
Cam chuckled, slow and honey-sweet. "I thought as much. I guess I'll be seeing you."  
  
"Seeing me?"  
  
"We're recording tomorrow. It's a six hour drive."  
  
John looked at his watch and swore. He could hear Cam's laughter emitting from his phone even as he dashed for the shower. If he was going to face down his destiny, he wanted to do it clean.


End file.
